Fighting Together
by WeatherWriter
Summary: Set during "The Curse." Ryan's feelings while Mike is being held captive. It's AU towards the end as Ryan comforts Mike.


**I'm back! Both of my jobs are keeping me busy, but I will always make time to write. This is another idea someone gave me. :)**

I call Mike's name as I turn a corner in the house we discovered earlier. I have my gun ready to fire if anyone other than Mike crosses my path. A light flips on, revealing another room. Mike is tied to a chair.

"Hello, Ryan, this is an unexpected surprise," Joe Carroll says as he steps into my line of vision.

My first reaction is to try to open the door leading to the room. I slam myself against it, but it won't budge. Desperate to get to Mike, I shoot the glass.

"Damn, it's bulletproof," I think to myself.

"Agent Weston, did my boys do this to you? Does it hurt?"

Joe digs his nails into the healing cut on Mike's forehead. He screams in agony.

"Kill him, Ryan!" Mike shouts.

"He's not going to kill you, Mike. He needs you to get out of here."

I'm sure my words aren't very reassuring to Mike as he has a knife to his throat. I'm not even sure my own words are reassuring to myself. I know Joe needs Mike, but he is a psychopath and will kill everyone who gets in his way.

The next thing I see is Mike spitting in Joe's face. Joe hits him over the head with the handle of the knife.

"Now, now, don't be crude."

"Hey!" I shout as I press my hands against the glass. "Why don't you come out here and deal with me? Come on!"

Mike doesn't deserve to be treated like this. He's still recovering from a severe beating and stabbing, and now he's back in peril. I know why Joe is doing this to me: He wants me to suffer. He wants everyone I care about dead.

He rambles on and on about his new book. Then he mentions the death of my father and how it was my defining moment.

"You're done, Joe," I tell him.

Joe continues torturing Mike, calling him a "battered little boy." He attempts to strangle him as well as dig his nails into him again. Mike's screams of agony send chills up my spine. I want to snap right then and there, but I compose myself. Mike needs me.

I confess everything about my father's death. That's what Joe wanted. I don't want to give Joe the satisfaction, but I have no other choice. Mike's life is more important than my own.

Jacob Wells comes downstairs, holding a gun to Parker's head. This allows Joe to escape. As soon as Jacob lets Parker go, we chase him and Joe. Shots are fired, but we lose them. Truthfully, I don't care about not capturing Jacob and Joe. Rescuing Mike is the only thing on my mind.

After catching my breath, I return to the other room.

"Are you alright?" I ask Mike.

Mike just stares at me with wide eyes.

"I'm going to get you out of here."

I quickly untie Mike from the chair. He falls into my arms, burying his face in my shoulder.

"It's ok. I've got you."

Mike shakes in my arms. I hold him close to me, careful not to press on his side.

"Come on, let's get out of here."

Mike doesn't let go of me. I shift to a more comfortable position and cradle Mike in my arms like a parent cradles a scared child. I stroke the back of his head.

"You're safe now. I won't let anything else happen to you."

Once Mike calms down, I slowly help him stand up. I put one arm around his shoulders as we begin walking out of the house. I have my gun ready in my free hand just in case anyone else is inside.

We make it out of the house safely. There is an ambulance waiting outside.

"You really should get checked out. Your cut is bleeding again."

"Yeah, I probably should. My head hurts pretty bad."

"Hardy, we need you for a second," Parker says.

"I'll be right back. If the ambulance has left by the time I'm finished with Parker, I'll meet you at the hospital."

Mike and I go our separate ways. I talk to other agents, explaining what happened in the house. I try to explain as best I can, but getting back to Mike is my number one priority. Parker notices my mind is somewhere other than the investigation.

"Go be with Mike," she tells me.

I make my way back to the ambulance. Mike looks so helpless sitting on a gurney all by himself. I climb into the back of the ambulance.

"There just going to run a few tests at the hospital, but I should be fine."

"That's good."

"Thanks for saving my life once again."

"Don't mention it. You mean a lot to me, Mike."

"You really feel that way?"

I nod my head at Mike. I wonder why he questions my feelings about him. I know I may come off as anti-social and rough, but deep down, I care so much about those around me. I especially care about Mike. Not many people look up to me the way that he does.

"I thought I annoyed you."

"You don't annoy me. I guess the reason I come off so rough is because I don't want to get close to anyone. Everyone I get close to seems to die or get hurt."

"I don't blame you for what happened. It's all part of the job. We're both got out alive and that's all that matters."

I lean in closer and wrap my arms around Mike. He's right: Both of us are alive and well for the most part. We conquered another day of the investigation together. We will continue fighting on.

**Thanks for reading! I will write again soon. **


End file.
